Conservative activists demand McConnell’s ouster

Conservatives who have long warred with establishment Republicans say the entire Senate GOP leadership must go, citing the collapse of Obamacare repeal and other failures.

Several leaders of key activist groups held a news conference Wednesday to denounce Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his leadership team, accusing them of ignoring grass-roots conservatives and hitting them for the GOP’s failure to repeal Obamacare.

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“This pattern of failure from McConnell’s gang of five leadership team while loathing and attacking their own base, the most loyal bloc of voters that has elected them and all of their caucus members, can no longer be tolerated,” said Ken Cuccinelli, president of the Senate Conservatives Fund, which has supported conservative challengers take on GOP incumbents.

The list of conservatives' complaints against Senate GOP leadership is lengthy and goes far beyond the collapse of Obamacare repeal. They’re displeased with the size of the federal deficit. They’re angry that the border wall hasn’t been built. They’re getting impatient on tax reform. And they’re still ticked off that Senate Republicans have worked to crush primary challenges to GOP senators who otherwise might have struggled to win a general election.

“You have done nothing. You have promised tax reform. You have done nothing,” the groups wrote in a letter that was delivered to McConnell and the other four Senate GOP leaders on Wednesday. “You don’t even show up for work.”

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The Senate is in recess this week.

McConnell’s leadership team includes Sens. John Cornyn of Texas, John Thune of South Dakota, John Barrasso of Wyoming and Roy Blunt of Missouri.

Aides to McConnell had no immediate comment on the letter, nor did aides for others in leadership.

Other groups involved in Wednesday’s push include For America, Tea Party Patriots and FreedomWorks.